How Voldemort Made His Comeback
by Magic Janet
Summary: The Triwizard Tournament is coming to Hogwarts, is there room for one more? Always. Join Nico as he checks the Triwizard Tournament off his bucket list and finally makes his father proud.
1. The Riddle House

The villagers of Little Hangleton still called it "the Riddle House," even though it had been many years since any member of the Riddle family resided there. It stood on a hill overlooking the village, over the years erosion weathered away its once grand old fashion features. Fifty years ago, when the Riddle House had been in mint condition, a maid entered the drawing room to find all three Riddles dead.

"'Lyin' there with their eyes wide open! Cold as ice! Still in their dinner things!' Aye boy, aye! That's what my third wife said!" An old balding man slurped his coffee and waved his arms for emphasis. "Son, don't cha go near that house if ya love livin'!"

Nico chuckled at Frank's story, he had meant most of the Riddles. A vile bunch, sort of greasy. "That's a nice tale there Mr. Bryce, I've heard one about the Yeti you might like..."

"Ooo, boy ya haven't been around love enough to start tellin' tales! But let's see what-cha got, aye?" Mr. Bryce turned around and called to the bartender in a gruff voice. He quite liked this boy, after the war he couldn't find his family- he forgot their names and location. This boy seemed like a grandson of sorts. "Give this here laddie a drink o' whiskey will ya?"

Then Nico got a pull in his stomach, one he always got when he was at a crossroad in life. "Actually Mr. Bryce I'm going to call it a night, the folks will be worried. I'll see you around man." Nico bid Mr. Bryce good bye but not for long, he could smell the scent of death all over this man. Thanatos or the Keres (lovely sisters of death) were coming tonight to claim his life. _I'll make sure to put in a good word. _

* * *

Frank Bryce had recently divorced his fourth wife and moved back to Little Hangleton, where his third wife used to reside. They were on good terms, but Frank kinda screwed things up when he forgot he had a third wife and married the fourth one. The amnesia had severely affected his memory, so severely that he thought he was still the gardener for the Riddle House when in reality the house had been abandoned for years.

On this night, he glimpsed a strange glimmer in the Riddle House, probably the flashlight of those rowdy teenagers. Frank mumbled under his breath about teenagers these days, that brought back memories of Nico, the boy he believed he meant a few hours ago, or maybe a few days... weeks... years even? Frank temporary forgot about the glimmer, Nico watched from the shadows. He breathe a small sigh of relief, whatever Frank had noticed, it wasn't for his eyes. The feeling in his stomach told him that whatever was in that house would decide his future.

Creeping closer, he drank in the scent of old mead and tainted purity. An unnatural mixture that came long after supernatural death, the Riddle myth must have been true. As he carefully opened up the back door, he swore he could hear murmuring. Decay hit his nostrils, dust circled the air, he sniffled a sneeze. The pull in his stomach grew stronger. However Nico's ADHD mind made a fatal mistake that would cost him four years.

Off to the distance, he felt a life force leaving the grounds, Mr. Bryce.

The muttering got louder, he rounded a corner and abruptly stopped. Nico caught a glimpse of a small balding, rat-like man, an oily man, and a child, they were obviously homeless people that needed a place a stay. The dull scraping noise of a heavy chair being dragged across the floor produced a screech that urged Nico to leave the place. Screeching of chalk, nothing could sound worse, and then the feel of chalk, ugh. He reminisced back to the times of classrooms (Hades forced him to go to school in the Underworld). If only Nico had stayed for a few seconds longer, then he would have realized they were much, much more than homeless.

* * *

Inspecting the limp body of Frank Bryce, Nico spotted a vampire-like bite by his neck and another set on his shoulder. Bam, mystery solved, the old man had died of snake venom. Leaves rustled around, haunting winds rattled the little cabin windows. It was a wonder the house hadn't collapsed yet, Nico expanded his senses to feel other life forces around the mansion. Mice, plants, grasshoppers, crows, and so much more, he wouldn't be finding that snake tonight.

* * *

Down in the Underworld Hades placed his thumbs on his temples and cursed angrily, glaring at Hecate. "Riddle didn't die. What's the plan?"

And that's how Nico ended on up on a train to Hogwarts.


	2. Aboard the Hogwarts Express

Thick rain pounded the windows of the train, wizarding weather. Another year had arrived, the buzz over the death eater threats at the World Cup had died down. Harry listened to the bickering of his two best-friends, this was going to be a great year. He gained not one but two father figures last year -Remus and Sirius- who basically forced his remaining family -Dudley, Uncles Vernon, and Auntie Petunia- to give him his freedom. Having a convict and werewolf as uncles has it's advantages, life really can't get any better.

"Honestly Ron, did you do any of your homework over the summer?" Hermione scolded him for the 4th time, he always received this talk at the beginning of every year; it was comparable to a ritual. "No! You had plenty of time! 120 days! I am so disappointed in you, how do you plan on passing your O.W.L.'s? or N.E.W.T.'s?"

"'O one does their 'omework during 'ummer vacation 'Moine!" Ron attempted to explain his reasoning while stuffing his face with chocolate frogs. Every year..."Yes I had plenty of time, but I having fun. Something smart people don't do."

"Ronald! Are you implying that I don't have fun? I went to-" She stopped speaking and put a finger to her lips, a familiar voice approached their compartment.

"... Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know. And you know his opinion of Dumbledore - Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But mother doesn't like me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a more sensible line then Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually learn them, not the defense rubbish we do..."

Nico walked with Draco and listened half of the time, as part of the mission he had to pick up on Wizarding World knowledge fast in order to blend in. The problem was, Draco loved to injection his own personal tidbits into everything. The guy just couldn't do a straight run through of the facts. "Riffraff?"

"Oh you know, the mudbloods. You're going to have to be friends with one of them, pity."

Hermione scowled slammed the compartment door shut, "He thinks Durmstrang would have suited him does he? I wish he had gone."

"Durmstrang is another wizarding school?" Harry stole a chocolate frog from Ron and took a peek at the card, Dumbledore. "It sounds like a band name."

"Yes, it's got a horrible reputation according to An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe. I'm surprised it hasn't been shut down yet after what happened last year." She took in the blank looks on the boys faces, "Are you two living under a rock? According to the Daily Prophet, a group of students, ages 15-17, attempted to practice various Dark Arts spells on other students. They had most of the teachers imperioed!"

"I think I've heard of it," Ron thought back to his father's ministry rants. "Where is it? What country?"

"Well, nobody knows, do they?" Hermione stated this obvious fact, "Durmstrang and Beauxbatons like to conceal their whereabouts so nobody can steal their secrets. But I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north, they've got fur caps as part of their uniform."

Ron smiled dreamily, "Ah think of all the possibilities. It would have been so easy to 'accidentally' push Malfoy off a glacier."

"Shame his mother likes him." Harry chuckled, then returned his stare to the window. Rain continued to pour down endlessly, for some reason began to rethink his plans for a good year. Friends stopped by as the ride went on, Seamus, Dean, and most curiously Neville.

"Hey guys!" Neville popped in beaming at them and struggling to keep a grasp on his slimy toad, "Guess what?"

"What is it Neville?" Hermione looked up from The Standard Book of Spells: 4th year, seeming a bit annoyed at the pudgy boy's presence.

"My grand transferred my cousin over to Hogwarts! You've got to meet him! He's-Nico? Nico!" Neville spun around in circles trying to find his cousin. "Oh my gods! I've lost him!" Then he dropped the toad. "No!"

"Neville!" Shadows flew towards a corner in the blink of an eye, they blended and twisted forming a human. No one noticed this quick transformation besides Hermione. A boy walked into their midst, his clothes blended with the shadows. His hair was black and his eyes were a perilous dark brown. "Right here bud, and here's the toad." Nico tossed the disgusting green thing to Neville, who while in the process of catching it tripped over his robes.

"Ump! Careful!" Neville landed on his tummy but quickly got up and happily stuffed his toad into his bag, "Anyway guys, this is Nico. He comes from America!"

"I'm Ronald Weasley..." Ronald Weasley was one of those nice guys. Nico caught a glimpse of his soul, although rash and impulsive he was nothing special. "But you can call me Ron, this is Hermione Granger."

Hermione Granger reminded him strongly of an uptight Annabeth. We're not going to hit it off very well...

"Hello, I'm Harry Potter." The most interesting person in this room... There was a dark portion clinging onto his real soul like a leech suckling flesh. He's the one I'm assigned to. The trio was waiting for his reaction to Harry, when there was none Hermione broke the silence.

"You have an American accent but it sounds different." Hermione's mind was going into overdrive, this boy did subtle umbrakinesis- that had been outlawed twenty years ago! Also, not everyone could learn it; many said it was an inherited gift, much like eye or hair color. My god, he could be one of the death-eater's that stormed the championship tournament just two weeks ago! Or the ones at Durmstrang! The fur hat thing must be a ruse. "Where are you from?"

Nico attempted to create a warm, welcoming smile on his face, it looked like a grimace. Truth is, this Wizard World gave him the nerves; also he had no wish to fail his father and get one of those 'Bianca-Could-Have-Done-Better' lectures. "New York, the city and the state. My father is from Greece so that explains the accent." _Good cover story._

"Tat's cool, 'wat 'cool 'ere did 'ou go to befo're?" Ron munched on his chocolate frogs, the smacking of his lips was so loud... On the inside Hermione slapped her forehead in embarrassment.

_Never mind, not a good cover story._ "Olympus Institute of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Nico hoped that would pass without questions, it was literally a made up school.

If Hermione was a computer, she would be frantically running through her databases. Afterwards she would be making a new file on 'Nico di Angelo' -probably an alias- and store it into the 'Suspicious People' folder. "I've never heard of Witchcraft and Wizardry schools in America, just Blacksmithing and Dragonry."

Nico quickly scrambled for a reply, "It's really small, 100 students." Now how am I suppose to gain their trust? No doubt about it, she'll blab to the other two. And Draco never mentioned anything about there being a lack of wizard schools in America!

"I've never heard of the apparition technique you used." Okay, now who was she kidding? Of course she'd heard of it, every credible historian had heard of it. "Where did you learn it?"

"My school teaches some advanced magic courses." Yes. Advanced like sword fighting and lava rock climbing. I am going to skewer Draco after this. He was suppose to tell me everything! "And I had good teachers."

Neville grinned proudly, "Runs in the family. I just didn't get it."

Advanced... like Advanced Dark Arts? "You must come from a great school, where is it again?" _Your imagination._

Harry sensed the tension between Nico and Hermione, "Well look at the time! I think we should go and change into our robes."

Ron looked up from his pile of chocolate frogs. "Really, I think we still have-" He was immediately silenced by Harry throwing a set of robes at him. "Oph!"

"Oh look, it's the happy couple - and Weasel... Weasel! What are those!" Malfoy snatched the maroon robes from Ron, "Moldy Lace? Really? Is your family so poor that you have to use your great aunts Victorian Nation robes? Terrible brand."

Nico shook his head a little, that was out of line. Even if Draco was faking it. "Ignore him, he lashes out in order to cover up his dark past… He's really just a teddy bear in need of someone to see past his cruel facade…"

"You must be the transfer. I'm Malfoy. Draco Malfoy." He extended his hand and winked when no one was looking. It was all apart of the mission

"The name is Nico di Angelo." Nico did not shake Draco's hand to keep up with the fake image of Draco being his enemy. "My views are my own, but if you must know, I don't discriminate."

"Give me those robes!" Hermione pushed Nico out of the way and snatched the offending bundle out of Malfoy's arms. "Sometimes I can't-You- Oh just leave!"

He held his hands up in a sign of surrender. "Calm down woman, I'm here for an actual reason. So Weasel, are you going to enter?"

"What are you talking about?" Ron clenched his fists and stuffed them into the pockets of his Muggle jeans.

"Are you going to enter?" Malfor rolled his eyes, stupid blood traitor. "I suppose you will Potter? Never missing the chance to show off, eh?"

"Either explain what you're on about or leave Malfoy," Hermione slapped his arm with the dusty maroon robe, a cloud rose up into the air causing Nico to sneeze.

"Granger! Get that filthy Victorian Nation crap away from me! If you're going to punish me, do it the proper way!" A gleeful smile spread across Malfoy's pale face. "Don't tell me you don't know? My God, my father told me about it ages ago... Heard it from Cornelius Fudge himself! Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry... Your father is too junior to know."

"Cut it out Malfoy!" Hermione whacked him once again. The little twat proved to be a thorn in her side every single time.

"Alright, Alright Granger! Stop you mad woman!" Malfoy did an exaggerated shudder, "Oh the stink of blood-traitors and mudbloods! I can't believe I'm breathing the same air-"

"Out!" She slammed that compartment door on his face and turned to Ron, "Take your robes Ron. You should at least attempt to change the color."

"'Mione!"

Down the corridor a distant voice shouted, "If you ever want real friends, you know where to find me!"

The corner of Nico's mouth turned up a little. So far Draco was the only real friend he had here. Besides his weird wizard cousin.


End file.
